New News is Good News

Hello there.

My name is Gabrielle, but after a short-stint of attempting to sound professional and adult, I've fallen back upon Gabby. Last Tuesday, August 17th, I flew into Washington DC with my mom, sister and $130 worth of over-the-limit luggage weight fees, to start American University's Washington Semester Journalism Program.

Now that I'm semi-settled in, I'm ready to start blogging about what is sure to be a completely unique experience. I've never had a roommate, I've never spent a semester out of my home state, and I've never worn a business suit....until this past week. So, hello there changes-I'll attempt to take you all in stride.

And now I'm tapping my foot repeatedly on the printer beneath my desk, contemplating how exactly to describe the emotions I'm feeling at this very moment.

Let's break it down.
 #1. Excited. I'm in DC, I'm learning my way around what I am convinced are the deepest-dug metros on earth,  I'm meeting new and sometimes intimidating people, and I'm trying so many new things in such a short time that my little brain can hardly keep up.
 #2. Overwhelmed. I'm in DC, I'm learning my way around what I suspect are most certainly the deepest-dug metros on earth, I'm meeting new and sometimes intimidating (read very well-dressed) people, and I'm trying so many new things in such a short time that my, what I'm sure is a perfectly acceptable-sized brain, can hardly keep up.
(OK, that was admittedly a cop-out, but nonetheless, it's true)
 #3. Nervous. I have interviews for internships lined up this week for which I should be preparing a list of I-rehearsed-this-but-doesn't-my-delivery-sound-unrehearsed type questions, yet somehow all I can think about is how I'm going to iron out the horribly-unprofessional looking creases riddling my one-and-only, had-to-get-this-at-the-last-minute, not very well made suit.

Anyhow, so this is the point in the evening where I begin to semi-neurotically reassure myself that I am indeed a witty, charismatic and disarmingly charming, mid-western college student and that, if my interviewers aren't brilliant enough to agree - well, it's their loss.

All this mental activity and it's only my first week in DC! Yet, somehow I, a girl who enjoys her relaxation time just as much (and probably slightly more) than the next person, is still excited and enthused about being here. I think it's because even though it's hectic, it's all new.

I'm not cramming for a terribly mundane Comm. 351 quiz, or frantically scribbling flashcards and drilling them into my memory. I'm exploring a city and I'm meeting people who actually make things happen. And as much as I'm not the type of person who likes to admit this - the administrators were right. This is worth it. This is something completely new for which there is no comparison.

So am I excited to wake up at 7:00 tomorrow to be at an interview by 11:00, followed by which I will cross-town to arrive at yet another examination of my probably less-than-ideal qualifications? YES! ... or Yes. Maybe the caps were overdoing it. Nonetheless, DC has so much to offer that the positives have, as of yet, outweighed the negatives far more than my suitcases did the TSA limit.

Wish me luck,

Gabby